The Difference
by thatgleekychick
Summary: More Than You Think You Are: The Difference. A four part story in which Noah Puckerman learns the difference between wants and needs.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This is the first of many Puckleberry stories that are part of the More Than You Think You Are series. Each story is inspired by songs by Matchbox Twenty! This one was inspired by The Difference which even if you listen to as a whole is totally a Puckleberry song!

Usually these stories are one shots but this one got so long that I chose to post it in four parts instead.

HUGE Thanks to Sassy_26 for looking over this before and helping me work out some of the kinks!

R&R

* * *

_Yeah, for all you know  
__This could be  
__The difference between what you need  
And what you want _

When Puck was in high school his life was always navigated by what Puck wanted. He wanted his best friend's girlfriend, he slept with her. He wanted to make sure everyone feared him, he threw people in dumpsters. He wanted to be a badass, he got his nipple pierced and slept with most of Lima's cougar population (which was surprisingly high). So now that he was a high school graduate (by some miracle or some other kind of phenomenon) he had to figure how what he wanted to do next.

He had pretty much decided that going to school was something he DIDN'T want. He'd spent the last four years barely scraping by with a 2.0 grade point average and he currently wasn't in the frame of mind to actually apply himself, at least academically. He was telling the truth that day he told Quinn he thought school was for suckers, he didn't need to be trapped by teachers and homework. But his mother told him she wasn't going to continue to let him live under her roof if he was just going to lay around and be a slob all day. And really, that wasn't his plan. He does't want to sit around and do nothing.

But there really isn't a whole lot for him to do over the summer. His mom requires him to fill out job applications, daily, but with the economy basically in shambles, no one is hiring, especially some punk straight out of high school. So Puck spends most of his time in his bedroom, playing with his guitar, or listening to music. That's what Puck really wants to do, he wants to play music. He wants to feel the same rush he felt up on stage when he performed with the glee club. Only this time, the spotlight would be on him and him only. He really hasn't admitted this to anyone, but he's been writing, like lyrics. It's totally not badass so he hides them, because he doesn't want anyone to know he's been doing it. But sometimes, when no one is home, he'll pull out some of it and fuck around on his guitar until he actually has a song, a very crappy song, but there is a melody and some lyrics and Puck is sure that its at least better than the crap his sister listens to. But he still isn't sure of what he's going to do with himself. That is until Rachel Berry calls him one day asking for his guitar skills.

She'd asks him to meet her down near the bar on Allentown Road. There's a deserted parking lot there and when Puck pulls his truck into what has basically just become a gravel pit, he thinks Rachel has completely lost her mind. But his guitar is sitting across the bench and really, he doesn't have anything better to do. He hops out of his truck just as Rachel's silver Prius comes pulling into the spot next to him. He props his guitar case against the tire of his truck and leans himself back against the bed as he waits for her to exit. In her hands she has several dress bags and she's pulling that pink trolley bag that he'd hope to never see again, behind her.

"What's the big emergency, Berry?" Puck asks.

"Thank you for coming, Noah," Rachel says stopping in front of Puck, "Like I said on the telephone, I need your guitar skills. My normal accompanist broke his finger doing who knows what and you were my only other option."

"What about Artie?"

"He seems to be on a vacation with his family before he leaves for school."

"Ah. Where do you perform?"

"Over there," Rachel said pointing her finger at the bar across the street.

"The bar? Neither of us can even get in there. Well, not legally. And I've never taken you for a fake ID kind of girl."

"I'm not. My Dads know the owner and he lets me play there once or twice a month."

"Play, like you perform? In a bar?"

"Yes. While I admit the audience would unlikely be filled with talent agents and the sort – people I actually need to progress in my career- it is exposure and you can never have enough practice being on stage. So will you help me?"

"Yeah sure," Puck says without any hesitation as he picks up his guitar and follows Rachel across the street. He thinks this could be fun, something that could benefit him as well.

Puck is pretty sure that it is illegal for Rachel to be in the bar; he'd looked online when doing his job searches and found that you had to be eighteen to work in a bar, Rachel, though just out of high school was not yet eighteen. It was totally legal for him to be there though, at least to work. But as Rachel walks through the main entrance, no one stopped her for anything other than to say hello, Puck thinks this is going to be pretty cool. Puck follows Rachel into one of the backrooms where she puts all of her stuff down in front of giant vanity.

"This is the last thing I thought I'd see in a bar, at least one that didn't have strippers," Puck comments.

"I had my dads bring over this old one when we bought a new one for my bedroom," Rachel says as she begins unloading her cosmetics all over the counter, "And Randy, he's the owner, was nice enough to let us store it here."

"What are we singing?"

"No. You're not singing. I am. Your job tonight is simply the guitar. I've got the piano covered and we should be set."

"Ay Ay Captain," Puck says using his pointer and middle finger to salute.

"I'm glad you are so compliant. Travis was always trying to get me to allow him to sing. And honestly he has a horrible voice."

"I don't have a horrible voice." "No you don't. But still, this is my showcase."

This is the Rachel Berry he'd been dealing with since he joined glee. The only time he found her the least bit willing to not be in charge or in the spotlight was the week they were dating their sophomore year. This is the Rachel Berry that usually drove him crazy. But he wants to perform, even if it was with a small crazy brunette, so he does it.

She sings a full set. Ten songs. Every single one of them perfect. Puck notices that she actually incorporates a lot of variety into her set list. She sings the Idina, because they share the same strength in their voices. She sings some of the Barbra, but she's added some Sara Barellies and Sarah McLachlan, and Colbie Caliet in there and Puck is somehow surprised by her range of genres, even though he shouldn't be. He's heard her sing so many different songs ranging from Broadway to contemporary stuff and each time it was with flawless execution. Some of the crowd ( the part that actually paid attention) loved her, even though he's pretty sure that they've never heard most, if not all of the songs she sang. But Puck knows that Rachel Berry has a way of captivating an audience and that, mixed with the half priced happy hour spirits makes for a wonderful response from the crowd. They cheer after each song and even put some money in the tip jar that she has put on the bar. A few of them were so drunk that they yell "Free bird" and Puck almost thinks Rachel is going to break out and do it. He is severely disappointed when she doesn't. When she's done, she thanks her audience for their wonderful support (though she really doesn't have it) and thanks Puck publicly before practically skipping off stage. She grabs the tip jar and scurries back into the "dressing room" they'd been in before, Puck following close behind.

When Puck enters the dressing room, Rachel is dumping all of the contents of the tip jar onto the vanity. Puck is surprised that there are actually a lot of bills in there, and not all of them are singles. Puck watches as Rachel organizes the currency in her hand by domination before counting it out.

"How much is there?" Puck asks out of sheer curiosity. He honestly wasn't expecting the pay out he was witnessing.

Rachel counts the last of the bills, "Seventy-four dollars and twenty-three cents."

"Seventy-five? Yeah there were people in there but I didn't even think anyone was paying attention." "Noah, when I sing, _everyone_ pays attention. Even if it is because I'm singing entirely in _forte_."

"Yeah but I didn't expect them to leave you seventy -five bucks."

"They do it every time. I'm grateful; I will get to my goal sooner than I had originally planned because of their generosity."

"What's your goal?"

"At the end of the summer I'm leaving for New York. I've decided that wasting my Dads money on college when I don't want to go isn't the best idea. But if I don't go to college they are less willing to assist me with my living expenses. I have a savings account and that will last me a while, but I still need to wait until I turn eighteen to access it. So until that day I have to be able to support myself come September."

"How much do you need?"

"I have configured about four thousand dollars, pending I find an apartment that doesn't cost so much, though everything is expensive in New York. That will include the plane ticket there."

"And how much do you have?"

"Three thousand seventy four dollars and twenty three cents."

"Wow. And that is just singing here?"

"No. Last summer I competed in several competitions and won over a thousand dollars in prize money. I've been saving for this since I turned sixteen."

"That's…kind of amazing."

"I think so," Rachel said, "and if I can convince Randy to let me come in every weekend this month then I should get pretty close. My parents are giving me some money since they refuse to let their little girl live in New York with absolutely nothing. But still, I like that I can do this without being entirely financially dependent on them."

"That's pretty badass Rachel."

"Thank you. I suppose you are expecting a cut of the money?"

"Nah," Puck says even though a few extra bucks in his pocket sounds better than what he's got, "consider it my donation to the 'Rachel Berry for future star' fund and remember to add my name to acceptance speech for whatever thousand awards you're going to win."

"You really think I'm going to win awards Noah? That I'm going to be a star?"

"Are you kidding me? You're like scary determined and crazy talented. There's nothing else for you to do with your life."

"I just wonder sometimes if I'm making the right decision. If skipping college is really the best idea."

"Do you want to go?"

"Well, no."

"Then don't. I don't want to go, so I'm not."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Not a damn clue. I don't know what I want to do, just what I don't want to do." "Very brave."

"It's badass. I don't want anyone expecting things from me."

"Even with a job there are expectations Noah."

"Maybe. But I want a job where I can set the expectations for myself."

"I suppose opening your own pool cleaning business could be profitable, at least during the warmer months."

"See, even with that, people are expecting things from you."

"I don't think you are ever going to find a job where people don't expect things from you Noah. I am a firm believer in doing whatever makes you the happiest, but I think you should at least do something."

Puck just shrugs and puts his guitar back in his case.

Once Rachel has her pink trolley bag packed, she doesn't bothering changing out of the outfit she'd changed into before her showcase. She and Puck walk back across the street to where their cars were still sitting in the abandoned parking lot.

"We should park in the parking lot of the bar," Puck says loading his guitar into his truck from the driver's side, "Less risky. Too many cops around here would be more than happy to find a reason to give two abandoned cars a ticket."

"They won't. No one ever uses this lot but Randy owns it. It's private property, no one will give us a ticket here. It's under surveillance too."

Puck looks around because there isn't much room for a lot of electronics, but he spots something on the top of the single light post illuminating them.

"Oh," Puck says simply.

"Thank you again Noah, I don't think what I would have done if you hadn't said yes. I suppose a simple piano only set would have done. But I've always been so fond of adding the guitar when needed."

"You're welcome Rachel. It was fun."

Puck watches as Rachel opens the door to her car and gets in, and only then does he make his way to the other side of his truck and climb inside. When he gets home, and his mom asks him where he had been, he lies and says that he's been with Mike. There is no way that Puck can tell his mom that he was at a bar, and he can't tell her he's been with Rachel Berry.

Once Puck is in his room, he closes the door and puts his guitar on his bed. Sitting down in front of it Puck reaches into the dresser drawer next to his bed and pulls out the notebook that he writes some of his lyrics in. He pulls it out because he wants to write, he feels inspired.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks to the reviewers, alerters and readers!

I forgot to mention this in the previous part but this goes out to my GF Pucklefam! They were the inspiration behind this story! I love them SFM!

Thanks again to Sassy_26 for her amazing help with this story.

* * *

Less than two weeks later Rachel calls Puck again, asking him of the same favor. But this time, she wants to rehearse. So he met her at her house three times in one week. They bicker over everything because Puck feels the need to tell Rachel that she needs to change up her set. Because he's pretty sure that the Sarahs and Barbra is only going to go so far. She's furious with him one day because really, what does he know about her singing? Only Rachel knows what works best for her voice.

"So then what are you suggesting Mr. Know-it-all?"

"Really Rachel? That's mature."

"I'm waiting."

"I Love Rock 'n Roll."

"You're kidding me right?"

"Dead serious. If you're going to sing in a bar, you need to be singing bar music."

"And what exactly constitutes 'bar music'?"

"Rock 'n Roll."

"I can't do that with just you and me."

"Why not?"

"Because, you need drums and electric guitar."

"Not true. I can play it on the acoustic just fine. And you don't need drums."

"I don't know," Rachel says as she worries her lip between her teeth.

"Come on. You'll get all the horny drunk guys into it."

"That's not why I perform Noah." "I know. But it wouldn't hurt the tips at all if you were a little more…sexual."

"Come on Berry get with it. You're hot, teenager girl in a bar full of mostly men who are drinking. Fact is, if they think that maybe they have a chance in hell of getting under your teeny tiny skirt, they'll put more money in your jar."

"Noah. That is absolutely ridiculous."

"You know just as well as I do that sex sells."

"I suppose you have a point."

"If you want to hit your goal in time you're going to have to work harder for them to make so that they work harder for you."

"You should go into business, or marketing."

"Nah, that's not what I want. So are we doing this?"

Rachel looks at Puck hesitantly and Puck can't tell if that look dancing in her eyes is fear or anticipation.

"Fine," she says simply.

Puck somehow convinces Rachel that she needs to spruce up her entire set list. She goes from what Puck has just termed 'chick pop' to something more appropriate and to his liking. Rachel adds 'Don't Stop' to her set list because really it was that song that changed her whole life. She adds 'Man, I Feel Like a Woman' because Puck told her country music was never hotter. She adds 'I Wanna Know What Love Is' because Puck has always loved the intensity of the song. Rachel tells Puck that keeping 'Gravity' by Sara Barielles is not only necessary, it's happening because she just really needs to sing that song.

So the next time Rachel performs , she's got the whole bar's attention. Like every single person. Puck notices that there are a lot more women there that night but doesn't care because when they get the tip jar, there is over a hundred and fifty dollars in there. Add that to the small amount that Randy pays Rachel, and she's made over two hundred dollars that night. Puck is pretty sure he's never seen her this giddy, or anything. Except maybe that one time Mr. Shue told them they were going to have to sing ballads…her face was brighter than a fucking Christmas tree that day. She treats him to dinner because she doesn't know how else to show her gratitude.

They play four more shows over the summer. She even managed to get a gig at the Lima carnival on the performance stage right after Willy Jenkins and his special flavor of country western music. But somewhere between singing in bars and festivals and the final performance before Rachel gets ready to leave for New York, something happens. It's not significant, its not historic, but Rachel and Puck find that they have gone from mild acquaintances to full fledged friends somewhere in the summer heat. It's not something to write home about but they hang out, like without rehearsing, and with some of the other glee kids. She even goes with Puck to a party thrown at Santana's house. It's something that just happens and neither of them question it.

And Puck is pretty sure that he is experiencing hell freezing over when Rachel tells him a week before her last performance that she wants him to sing, with her. She pulls out a stack of papers from her bag and throws them on his bed.

"These are duets. Ones that you'd approve of, I'm almost certain. We should do one or two of them at the final performance."

"What happened to this being about you?"

"It is. But as a star they are going to expect me to be able to work collaboratively with other artists. I might as well start now right?"

"I suppose."

And they tear the house down with their rendition of "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee. The tips are greater than they've ever been and Randy gets a cake and tells her not to forget him when she's all famous and stuff.

Puck treats her to dinner because the truth is, he's proud of her; she's getting the fuck out of town. And that is all that he can think about when he gets home that night. Rachel Berry was getting exactly what he wanted. She was leaving and hell hath no furry if that girl wasn't going to become next big fucking deal in the country, in the world. So as Puck stares at the ceiling in his room, he daydreams. He thinks what would happen if he were Rachel, if he were leaving. He thinks that the small amount of money he's got saved up from this or that wouldn't get him half as much as Rachel's thousands would. His mom definitely wouldn't be able to help out, not really. He could easily do it, he wanted to do it, he just didn't have the monetary means. And then the craziest and most brilliant idea Puck has ever had crosses his mind.

The next morning he calls Mike first thing and basically demands that he meet him at his house. When Mike shows up Puck tells him to follow him and they end up at CarMax. When Puck hops out of his truck, Mike is looking at him like he's grown two heads.

"What are we doing here man?"

"I'm selling my truck."

"You're doing what?"

"I'm going to New York. You don't need cars in New York right?"

"I feel like I've missed about ten steps here."

"I'm selling my truck so that I can go to New York."

"Do what?"

"Hell if I know. But I want to go, so I'm going."

Mike doesn't say anything but just follows Puck inside the building.

And half an hour later he's getting into Mike's car with a check for more money than he's seen…ever. Mike drops him off at home and he calls Rachel immediately after he's in the safety of his room, so his mom doesn't find out he sold his truck and was leaving before he was ready to tell her.

"Noah? I'm leaving in a few hours." "I'm coming with you." "I'm sorry? Did you just say that you were coming with me? You can't come with me."

"Well I don't have to come with you, but I'm going to New York."

"Since when?"

"Since right now."

"You just made that decision?"

"Well I sold my truck."

"You did what? Noah, that's absurd."

"Why? You would have done the same thing."

"Where are you going to stay?"

"I don't know. I'll figure it out when I get there."

"You can't just do that Noah. You have to have a place or you could end up on the street. I've had my apartment for weeks."

"Then I'll stay with you." "Noah, it's a one bedroom."

"Then I'll pay half the rent and sleep on the couch."

"Noah," Rachel says, "Do you really want to do this?"

"I need to," he says and Rachel agrees.

His mother is less than thrilled. She cries and yells, and she goes on and on about how this is one of the stupidest mistakes he's ever made. But the truth was, he hadn't made it yet so she really doesn't know that it's stupid. And as much as Mrs. Puckerman doesn't want him to go, he does.

He sits exactly seven rows behind Rachel on the plane. And its not until they land and they suddenly come face to face with the greatest city in the world that Puck realizes that he has no idea what he's actually doing in New York, he just knows that he needs to be there.

He asks Rachel what she thinks he should while in the huge city that night after they've unpacked most of their things. She's decided to cook dinner for them and she's currently standing over a pot of boiling water and he's sitting on their itty bitty dining set that came with the extremely tiny apartment. Their place is small and definitely not intended for two people.

"I still don't know why you came here Noah.? You have no idea what you want to do with yourself."

"I want to play music."

"So you aren't as lost as you think you are. So you want to play music. Now that you know that. you have to just do whatever it takes to get there."

"Like what?"

"Honestly, in New York City it's going to be difficult. The first thing you need is a job, one that pays for this place because I really don't want to have to fly back to Lima anytime soon. And then you…I don't know! Play on street corners and in the subway until people actually listen and someone picks you up." "That could take, a long time."

"You can't expect to be an overnight sensation, Noah. Even I know that."

"But I just want to be a rock star," Puck says out loud for the first time ever.

"Than you will be, it just takes time."

Six months later, Puck is pretty sure that he's frustrated (again) about how long it's taken. Honestly, he's surprised that he and Rachel had made it this far without killing each other or giving up all together (and there were sure times in which it was definitely close). Rachel getsa job as a waitress (as cliché as that is) and Puck, well Puck is currently between jobs and he's had five different ones in the last six months (which he thought would be nearly impossible). But somehow they're making it work. Rachel is finally eighteen so they can at least start working at the bar, legally at least and Puck tells her one night while they are listening to the radio (because they really can't afford television) that maybe it was time to introduce their act to New York. Rachel laughs and rifles through her page for a minute and pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to Puck. It's a flyer for an open mic night. But she doesn't want to do it together, she wants to do it alone.

"Seriously? We rock together."

"We do, however I want to do this solo. Feel free to join yourself."

He's pissed at her for about five minutes before he realizes that she should do this alone, because if he did it with her she'd sure to make him just play guitar and he'd get nowhere. So he decides that he's going to join, and he's going to blow Rachel Berry out of the water.

But the truth is that doing that is a lot easier said than done. It's Rachel Berry and she's super talented and all that other stuff so watching her sing on stage, he kind of realizes that she's probably going to win this thing. Which is okay because that means they actually have the rent money for next month. But he realizes during the end ofthe two songs they get to sing that this is the first time he's really heard Rachel sing since they'd left Lima. Sure she sang around the house, but nothing was in full Rachel Berry mode. Her voice is still as sweet as he'd remembered and she's singing Idina so there's power in her voice. When she finishes she gets a great ovation from the crowd and runs over to the table they'd gotten and is all smiles as she throws herself into the chair across from him.

"It feels so good to really sing again," she says smiling so damn bright, "What are you singing Noah?"

"Nothing you've heard before."

"How do you know, I'm well versed in most popular music."

"No one's heard it before, it's original."

"Original? I didn't know you were composing music Noah? Why haven't I heard it before?"

"Because, I usually fuck around on the guitar when you're at work."

"Well I would have listened when I got home," Rachel says and Puck thinks for a moment that she might actually be offended that he didn't share it with her.

Truth was he was shocked he was going to share it with anyone. But if he wanted this he had to take chances right? He needed to do something to get himself noticed, which was why he was sitting on a stage in front of a bunch of strangers with his guitar on his knee, about to open himself up and bleed on everyone.

So he sings the song that he's been hiding since he was in high school. The one that spoke of never being able to find the one who thought you were worth something. And then he sings Sweet Caroline because he knows it's always a crowd favorite and he can see Rachel's face light up when he starts. She's even singing along with the 'Bah bah bahs ' and he can't help but smile.

And when neither of them take home the prize money at the end of the night (it goes to some old lady who reminded Puck of Susan Boyle) neither of them are upset. In fact, Puck has learned that getting alcohol is a hell of a lot easier in New York than it was in Lima. So when they get back to the apartment Puck pulls out a bottle of tequila because they're going to do shots. Rachel protests because she has work the next afternoon but it only takes a good five minutes before she gives in.

An hour later they're both completely drunk sitting on their couch (and Puck's bed) laughing about something that Rachel said wasn't funny. They're laughing at the fact that Rachel kept spitting while she was talking and it was all over Puck's legs. Rachel continues to laugh as she tries to wipe it off with her hand. Puck takes her hand and removes it from his leg (because really she's not helping) but he doesn't let go. Instead he holds onto it and though he's drunk he's incredibly aware of how tiny her hands are -, he'd even call them cute (not necessarily out loud though). He moves his hand across hers and he's surprised when her hand moves against his. Without letting go of her hand, he continues to let them do their dance but he looks at her face. He's drunk, he knows that, but looking at Rachel, he realizes that she's absolutely stunning. Okay because he was well aware of that in a sober state but right now, looking at her, he couldn't bring himself to look away from her beauty.

He feels a magnetic attraction that, if he was being honest, he's felt since high school. He's always felt himself drawn to her since that week they dated sophomore year. It would have never worked out if it hadn't ended then, but now things could be different. Even through Quinn, Jesse and Finn, Puck found himself pulled towards the petite brunette who was currently so close that he could smell the tequila on her breath.

He really isn't sure what would happen if he would just kiss her. But you could blame the alcohol for him not caring. He wants too. He closes the distance between their lipsand he remembers what it felt like to kiss her at sixteen; this feels a million times better.

And she doesn't attack him, she doesn't even fight him, she just kisses him back. She doesn't stop him when their clothing begins to be removed. She doesn't stop him when he lifts her up and guides both of them into her bedroom. And she doesn't stop him before he's doing things to her that make her scream his name over and over into the vacant air of their otherwise quiet apartment.

And it doesn't get weird with them. There isn't that awkward tension. And nothing really changes except that sometimes Rachel will thank Puck with a kiss on the cheek or he'll read the script she has for her audition over her shoulder when she's drinking her tea in the morning and sometimes he'll rest his chin against her shoulder.

The day Rachel has an audition for an off Broadway production, Puck has an interview at a bar. They're looking for bartenders and Rachel had told him that if he didn't get a job and fast, she'd have to find someone else to sleep on her couch. The last thing Puck wants is to crawl back to Lima with his tail between his legs letting his mother tell him 'I told you so'. So he makes sure that he looks impeccable and actually let Rachel run a mock interview with him in the night before. And walking in he feels like he's got this. He's super excited to see that his interview is female because all he has to do is turn on his signature charm and the deal is sealed.

He sits down with her at a table, where she learns her name is Amy, and she begins asking all sorts of questions. He never went to school to be a bartender but he's pretty sure his years of underage drinking make him overly qualified. He answered Amy's questions with ease and as Puck but before the interview could end Amy's phone rings and she excuses herself to take what she deems an important phone call. Puck doesn't care because honestly he'll wait here forever just to prove that he's trustworthy and can get this job. He watches as Amy is pacing around the bar screaming into her phone. He hears something about untrustworthy and talent less but he really isn't paying too much attention to it all. Amy slams her phone shut and comes back to the table the interview was being conducted at .

"I apologize for that," she says taking her seat, "My house band has suddenly decided that they are too good to play in a bar so they have quit. Now I am without a band and people will be here tonight expecting live music they can dance to if they want to."

"Do you need a whole band?"

"At this moment I will take the next street musician I can find that can carry a tune."

"I can play. Guitar I mean, and I can sing. I know a little piano too."

"So what you're a one man band?"

"Not really but I can pretty much play anything."

"Anything? Will it cover about two hours?"

"If you need me to."

"You sir, are a savior. Be back here tonight around eight, you go on at nine."

"Seriously?"

"Consider this your audition. This goes well tonight you might be my new house musician."

Puck smiles and thanks Amy before practically dancing out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: ** This one is a little shorter than the rest. Final part should be up in the next couple of days.

* * *

When he gets home Rachel is already back from her audition, she's sitting on the couch looking over another script.

"How'd it go?" Rachel calls not turning around to look at him.

Puck walks over to the couch and takes a seat next to her. He's bursting at the seems with excitement and he really wants to tell her but he knows she had an audition that day too.

"I'll tell you in a minute, how'd the audition go?"

"Very well I think. The casting director seemed to be pretty fond of my voice. I should get a call in a day or two about a second audition," Rachel says and then narrows her eyes to look at him curious, "Why do you look like you've got a secret?"

"Because I do," Puck says, "What are you doing tonight?"

"Looking over the script for another audition. Why?"

"Because you've got new plans now. You're coming to see me perform."

"What? Where?"

"You remember that job interview I went to today?" Rachel nods in response, "Well during the interview, Amy, that's the bar manager, gets a phone call from her house band who I guess has up and quit. I tell her that I can play and the next thing I know I have to put together a set list for tonight."

"Oh my gosh Noah!" Rachel says launching herself at him wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Puck holds Rachel tight against him as she squeals in his ear. When she pulls away Puck keeps a tight grip on her hips so that she's now sitting in his lap. Her hair has fallen so that it sits gently on her face. The two are quiet for a moment. They have been in plenty of situations like this since their evening together but this one is different. This feels different. Puck moves his right hand from her hip to her face to brush some of the stray hair from her face. He can see in her brown eyes that she's wondering what comes next. Honestly, so is he. But he tangles his hand in her hair and pulls her lips until they meet with his. Rachel responds immediately and sinks deeper onto Puck's lap. And if he didn't have the most important opportunity to come along since he's gotten to New York he would have taken her right there on the couch but he pulls away instead.

"I have four hours to put a set list together," Puck says looking up at Rachel who is still in his lap.

"Can I help?" Rachel whispers.

Puck smiles and leans up to kiss her once more, "Absolutely."

Puck shows up at the bar at seven forty five because honestly he couldn't sit at home waiting any longer. Rachel said something about having to stop somewhere first but she promised that she'd be there before he went on stage.

As much as he semi-hated glee in high school, at this time he is thankful because more than half the songs in his set list were songs he'd learned at the hands of Mr. William Shuester. But he feels good about what he's coming in with. Amy welcomes him and shows him a little room that is smaller than the room of Randy's bar where he can put his stuff, which is honestly just his guitar.

He doesn't look out to the crowd before he goes on, he doesn't want it get anymore nervous than he already is. Because as much of a badass as he is, there is a lot riding on this performance, so it needs to go off without any glitches. But he gets a text from Rachel about five minutes before he was set to go on.

_Break a leg. I'm proud of you. _

He smiles at his phone and as cheesy and girly as it sounds, having Rachel proud of him makes a lot of the nervousness disappear.

Puck does amazing that night. He's got the crowd practically kneeling at his feet the entire night, especially the college girls who seem to have taken a particular interest in him. The stand at the front and cheer really loudly after his performance of 'It's Not Over' originally by Daughtry and he can swear that in between every song he can hear them talk about how hot he is. But despite all the 'fans' he's gaining, Puck goes home with Rachel's arm tightly joined with his.

Later, when they get home, it's her legs that are wrapped tightly around his waist. He wakes up the next morning to the sound of Rachel's phone ringing, some talking, and then her screaming and jumping on the bed. She's gotten a call back.

And she has a few more call backs and one night while they're just sitting around watching their brand new, tiny, television (because Puck's work doesn't pay to bad) Rachel gets the call that she starts on Monday.

Three months later Puck plays every weekend at the bar. And during the week, well he actually convinced Amy that he would still make a good bartender. Rachel is working her crazy hours at the theatre and honestly they don't see much of each other. There is the rare hour or two that they aren't sleeping that their home together but usually he's going over stuff for work and so is she. He was there opening night and he knows that she's wonderful and she's been to the bar once since that first night. But they've been busy and they both know that. Because as much as they don't see each other, they're together, like officially, as high school-ish as that sounds. And even though he's got women throwing himself at him the moment he comes off stage, he doesn't sleep with them. He doesn't want to sleep with any of them. What he wants when he gets off stage is to hurry home and hopefully get a few minutes, and maybe some sex time with his girlfriend.

He begins traveling, usually by train, to other states to play at other bars. He's pretty sure this is what he needs to do because honestly playing for the same one hundred people at Amy's bar won't get him the exposure he needs. So he finds another bar in the city that will let him play during some weeknights when he isn't tending bar. Which works for a while because its new people but eventually even Amy realizes that he's trying to move on and only books him every other weekend. But that doesn't suck entirely because he starts moving around some more, playing different shows around the city. One weekend that he knows Rachel will barely be home, he hops a train to Jersey and goes to a bar he's seen has an open mic. They love him and now every other weekend that he's not at Amy's bar, he's taking the train to Jersey to play at Hal's.

He's been doing that for months but this weekend he's in the city, playing at a new club that he'd managed to get himself onto the bill for. Rachel somehow managed to get the night off and she's sitting in a booth in the back. He watches her while he plays, missing her even though she's there. This is the one time they get to be together and he's up there playing. So he plays Sweet Caroline just for her and watches her face light up like it did that first night at the open mic. As soon as he's finished he runs over to the table grabs her hand and they take a cab back to their apartment, where he shows her how much he misses her, and how much he appreciates her and how much he wants her. And he won't deny that he pulls her a little closer before they fall asleep that night.

And aside from a few stolen days, that becomes their life. And he's sort of okay with it because even though it really sucks that they don't see each other like they want to, they're both doing what they love and he can see the smile on Rachel's face when she talks about her work and he knows that they're both exactly where they need to be. So Puck continues doing the bar/club thing, and as much as he loves it because he can sing, he wants bigger, he wants to cross the finish line. And he gets one step closer one of the weekends he's at Amy's. He's heading out because he got a text from Rachel saying she was going to try to stay up and he wants to get home like now. He's heading towards the door and some jackass steps in front of him and extends his hand.

"Noah, right?" he says.

"Yeah," Puck says extending his hand towards the stranger (points for politeness), "Can I help you?"

"I think the question is can I help you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"My name is Roger Maloney. I work for Columbia Records."

"Oh."

"You seem like you're in a hurry to get out of here so I won't take up much of your time. But I'd like for you to meet with me on Monday."

Roger takes a business card out of his shirt pocket and hands it to Puck who inspects it for a minute until he's at least momentarily convinced it's legit because, this is COLUMIBIA Records and that's a pretty big fucking deal.

"Sure," Puck says like he actually had a choice in the matter, because really when a record company wants to meet with you, you fucking go.

"Great, great. Around noon? We can do lunch."

"Sounds good," Puck says.

Roger extends his hand again and Puck takes it more firmly than he did the first time, more sure.

"All right Noah, I'll let you go. See you then. Call me if you have any questions in the mean time."

"Will do," Puck says and walks passed Roger to exit the bar. And he may or may not have pumped his fist in the air when he was alone on the streets of New York.

When he gets home Rachel has already fallen asleep, but there is not a chance in hell that they aren't celebrating. Even if all he got was a meeting, this was good right? He practically leaps onto the bed and he knows she's going to be pissed when she wakes up. And half asleep with her hair disheveled she's never looked so beautiful.

"Noah, there are less violent ways to wake me up," she says.

"I'm sorry baby but you've got to hear this."

"Hear what?"

"I ran into a guy at the bar tonight. He wants to meet with me on Monday."

"What kind of guy?"

"He said he worked for Columbia Records."

"Columbia Records? Noah that's…that's amazing!" Rachel says suddenly more awake as she moves to a sitting position then wraps her arms around the neck of her boyfriend.

"It's just a meeting," Puck says mostly reminding him not to get his hopes up.

"Yeah maybe but this is a deal step Noah. You've been working so hard, I'm so proud of you," Rachel says planting a huge kiss on his cheek.

Monday afternoon Puck walks out of the office building of Columbia Records onto the streets of New York and immediately heads towards the theatre where he knows Rachel is at rehearsal. The doorman lets him in the lobby and he enters the auditorium from the back and he just stands there because Rachel's singing. He makes a mental note to make sure that he attends another one of her shows soon while he listens and watches. Up on the stage she's so beautiful, so amazing, so enchanting. He waits until she finishes singing and claps loudly from the back of the auditorium as he begins making his way towards the stage. She hops off stage and throws herself into his arms. Puck holds her there and kisses her gently. When he puts her down she grabs him by the hand and drags him back the way he came into the lobby of the theatre.

"So how'd it go?"

"It went well."

"Oh Noah now is not the time to tease me! What happened?"

"Well Roger said he liked what I was doing at the bar. I guess someone told him about me from one of the shows in Jersey. Which is really awesome ya know? And," Puck paused.

"Noah! And what? And what?"

"And they want to sign me to a deal," Puck says smiling.

* * *

Coming next, Puck finally learns what he wants is not always what he needs.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Final Part! Thank you so much to everyone who alerted, reviewed, favorited and read this story!

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It takes Puck nine months to record his debut album. Nine months of looking through songs that other people had written; nine months of perfecting songs he'd written himself. And each one of them was like ripping open an old wound until the blood poured and formed lyrics, melodies, and harmonies. He's got a publicist and she gets him booked on different television shows and he's met all the major media personalities this week alone. The first time he hears his first single on the radio, he's on the way to some meeting with some big shot and he calls Rachel, but it goes to voicemail and instead of celebrating this moment with her, he just closes his phone without leaving a message. The truth is they've been more distant that ever over the last nine months. Puck spends so much time in the studio and doing photo shoots and interviews that he's barely home anymore. Rachel finally landed a role on Broadway. It wasn't the lead, but it was a start and both Rachel and Puck knew that. But the job still kept her at rehearsals for hours and she had so many other things to do to prepare for opening night. So long story short, they've become distant, and not on purpose; it's just they don't have the time to connect.

Which sucks for Puck a lot and he knows its going to get worse when he gets a phone call from his manager (he has one of them now) and he (Andy) tells Puck that he's going on tour, to open up for Daughtry. He's excited; he's actually going fucking nuts inside. He's going to be gone for four months, with a couple breaks here and there. And while Puck is so happy because he's finally realizing his dreams and he's going out on tour with one of the most popular rock bands; but at the same time he realizes that it's going to drive a bigger wedge between him and Rachel.

When he tells her that he's going, she puts on a great big Rachel Berry smile (that Puck can see right through) and tells him she's proud of him (and she's not lying), and that they'll talk on the phone and text all the time.

And they do, for a few weeks. But there are days when Puck is just so busy doing all these things because really his CD is selling, but he's still a new artist and he needs to promote himself with the one hundred different things Andy has him doing. Radio interviews, television interviews, and they're in the talks to do Jay Leno or some talk show next month. And Puck knows from the few emails and texts from Rachel (because she seems unable to ever answer her phone or return a phone call lately) that she's been doing recordings and appearances for her show. She says she's happy and Puck hopes that she's telling the truth, but there is this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that she's not being completely honest with him.

He's home for three days and he goes to see her perform and they spend the time together (she actually asks for a couple days off). It's perfect and it's nice to wake up with her in bed again, and smell her perfume around the apartment. Those three days are spent like nothing is wrong, like the last couple of weeks haven't been horrible on both of them. And when he leaves he knows that there were unshed tears in her goodbye.

When the tour is over Puck can't wait to get home. He wants to see Rachel, to be with her before the record company comes calling for something else that will take him away. He calls her when he gets to the airport and gets her voicemail but he leaves a message telling her that he'll be home soon and that he can't wait to see her and that he loves her. When he gets to their apartment things look a lot different from the last time he was there, but the sense of home washes over him. He's got a ton of bags and he just throws them near the front door (even though he knows it'll piss Rachel off) and rushes into the bedroom because he can hear her in there. When he walks through the door there are clothes everywhere and a couple of suitcases on the bed.

"Where are you going?" Puck says startling Rachel.

"Noah. I wasn't expecting you home until later."

"I got an earlier flight. Where are you going?"

"I was hoping to be gone before you got here."

"Where are you going Rachel?"

"I'm leaving Noah."

"Rachel you've got to cut the cryptic shit."

"I'm leaving Noah. I'm leaving this apartment," Rachel says and then pauses for a moment, "I'm leaving you."

Puck knows that he shouldn't be shocked that it's come to this, but Rachel's words still hit him hard in the gut.

He has a million things to say but the only thing that escapes between his lips is "No."

"I have to Noah. You can't tell me that you're actually happy with the way we've been lately. We're like strangers most of the time."

"I know. But we can fix that; we can get things back to normal Rachel."

"I don't think we can. Is it really fair to either of us to continue living like this? Do you know that Richard, that's the guy that plays the lead, asked me out the other night? Do you know that I told him no even though I wanted to. Not because I was interested in him, because I'm not, but I was going to say yes simply so I could have someone give me some kind of attention. It's selfish Noah but I just needed to feel wanted by someone other than an audience full of people who don't even know me."

"You could have called?"

"There's only so much you can do over the phone Noah."

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I don't want you to go."

"This isn't about what you want Noah."

Rachel continues to fold her clothes neatly into her suitcase. Puck is just standing there watching her; the only sound in the room is the sound of Rachel's feet shuffling back and forth from the dresser to the bed, the closet to the bed over and over.

"What about what I need?"

"What?"

"What if I need you?"

"You seem to be doing just fine."

"Well I'm not. Come on Rachel none of this would have happened with out you."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is. You started this all in a bar in Lima Ohio. It was you who showed me what I had to do to get out of that crappy cow town"

"But you don't need me anymore Noah."

Puck closes the distance between the two of them, grabbing a firm hold of Rachel's waist and pulling their bodies together. He hates to admit it but he's glad yet surprised when she doesn't pull away.

"Yes I do. It doesn't matter if I'm on tour in Idaho or California or winning awards or appearing Ellen, I'm still going to need you."

"I just don't want to feel so alone anymore Noah."

"I know baby," Puck says brushing the hair from her face, "But I promise we will figure it out. Can we at least try?"

Rachel nods and Puck kisses her with need. The need to make up for all the lost time and the need to fix them, even if he knows its going to take a lot more than kissing. He thinks that he's unbelievably happy that he's in his New York apartment and was able to convince his girlfriend not to walk away from him. He came to New York because he wanted to. Because he knew that that was the only way he was going to become the star he wanted to be. But somewhere during that journey he discovered something else. He discovered that sure, wants made you happy, everybody wants things. But it's the things that you need that are the most important. It's your needs that are going to be there when you get everything you want.

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AN: Thanks again for reading!


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